Bible Truth for Today & Christian Counseling for the Soul

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21

As I was studying this week, an incredible thought came to mind. When Christians leave inheritances to God and His church in their will, when they get to Heaven, they can actually see their treasures being laid up as their investments yield fruit in church ministry of seeing people saved—back on earth! It is an incredible thought!

One widow lady loved her church and though she lived very modestly, she left a large amount to her church. Her entire estate provided her church will over $100,000. With this money the church was able to put a much-needed roof on their building. All because this lady planned ahead to lay up treasure in Heaven.

I believe that every Christian should include Jesus in his/her will. It makes good spiritual sense to leave financial investments behind in spiritual endeavors. After we die and go to Heaven, the interest of the financial investment will reap spiritual dividends in Heaven. This is a similar thought that Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17-19: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. “Communicating” is the word for “sharing.” When a person invests in spiritual things today, he is laying up blessings in Heaven for the time he will enjoy his eternal life.

Have you heard the statement, “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead!”? Good thought. The idea is that we should give our finances away to good causes while on earth today and when we arrive in Heaven the spiritual investments will be evident there. But it is an incomplete idea.

Not only can we “send it on ahead,” we can also “keep it coming!” How? By leaving an inheritance to God given to the local church. Think of this: An inheritance is given to a church and the church builds a new building. Every person who becomes a Christian while inside that new building is what Paul called” fruit added to your account.” Wow. Every person who hears the Gospel because you gave – yields an eternal reward for you in Heaven.

In Philippians 4:17 Paul was commending the giving he received from the Philippian believers and says: “Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” They made financial investments in ministry that yielded a heavenly return. Are you making any earthly investments today that will gain “spiritual interest” in Heaven?

Of course, we are not saved and cannot buy salvation by giving money. Salvation was bought with the price of the blood of Jesus. We are saved by grace through faith. However, the Lord does allow us to partner with Him in ministry and He will use the money we give to see that tracts and Bibles are printed, buildings are built for ministry, pastoral staff and missionaries are cared for, and churches reach into their Jerusalem, Judah, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world.

When I get to Heaven, I plan to see my “Heavenly Treasure” gain interest and grow. I believe that I will see eternal investments adding up – after I get there- because my wife and I have provided for that in our will. To be very candid, 25% of whatever we have financially when we die will go to church ministry. I am sharing this only as a practical example, not for boasting. The widow lady I mentioned earlier gave 100% to God through her local church.

Will you leave a percentage of what finances you have to God’s work – the day you leave this earth? Or will what you leave behind go to frivolous things, unappreciative relatives, or even worthy causes that pale in comparison (worth) to the Gospel? Talk to a Christian financial adviser, or your pastor today about how and where to designate your giving. We do not know when we will die. But we can know where our investments will go – ahead of time.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

Everyone is tempted to sin. When our lust begins to control and consume us something is born called sin. James chapter 1 speaks much to this process of temptation becoming sin. While temptation is not sin, it leads to sin. Could I suggest that allowing temptation to grow, or even actively nurturing it could also be sin?

John Eastwood made an insightful statement: “People do not decide to be drunkards, drug addicts, prostitutes, murderers, or thieves, but they pitch their tent toward Sodom, and the powers of evil overcome them.”

Each of us know people whose lives were changed overnight, because of sin. One temptation acted upon can alter an entire lifetime. I have met teenagers who are not able to finish high school because of sin. Many soldiers and sailors have made one bad choice and find themselves in legal trouble, or in the brig. Ever notice the genuinely homeless people asking for food along the road? Perhaps one bad choice, led to a whole string of bad choices and they end up with nothing.

If one sin can have such an impact, we should be looking to Jesus fervently and seeking His guidance and help to avoid sin! Here are 4 “plans” to help you avoid sin.

Prayer Plan: Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Prevention Plan: Psalm 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Protection Plan: Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Escape Plan: 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

What happens if I falter and fail? What should I do when I commit sin? For sure we do not want to abuse the Grace of God – see Romans 6:1-2. But when we sin, we do have an advocate with the Father – His name is Jesus. We are instructed in 1 John 1:9 to confess our sin to God. When we confess, we acknowledge our wrong and God forgives us.

Don’t forget about repentance. Remember Romans 6:1-2? That verse tells us to not continue in that sin. That would be abusing the grace of God. In other words, a person who confesses his sin to God, also should repent of his sin and turn around from it. Repentance is a change of mind resulting in a change of direction.

So, can these 4 “plans” help you avoid sin? Yes they can. While we will never be perfect in our lifetimes on earth, we can choose to honor Jesus by living holy lives that are dedicated to Him.

Screen suggestions for students, well, perhaps more for the parents of students. All of us have noticed the exponential leap of digital devices creeping into our lives. I like the new devices. The digital things, screens of all sizes, and new tech can be terrific. But at some point, we can have too much of a good thing.

Paul was telling the believers at Philippi that moderation should clearly be part of their lives. We can go overboard – even with good things. Balance is needed in every area of the Christian life. If we are not careful the stuff we have will control us!

Here are some ideas to help moderate the tech stuff of life:

Ensure your child gets a full night of rest, have a media basket for all the cell phones and connected devices to rest at night. The temptation to communicate, surf, and feed possible addictions become less when a device is not accessible at night. Even if music or other things are used on a device to help a child go to sleep, it seems like a short-sighted fix. We should avoid being dependent on anything or anyone other than Jesus and His Word.

Increase your child’s GPA; get rid of the smart phone. With an increase of smart device use, the need for learning and knowing stuff for yourself tends to decrease. A study came out recently suggesting that students learn better from print on paper books. Even the talented people who create these devices and software do not allow their kids to have much screen time. They buy their kids printed books.

Work on social skills. When children are visiting your home, have a phone basket for the phones to go in. Have you noticed that with all the social media that people are actually less social in real life settings?

Teach your children the sacredness of worship by instructing them to not play on devices while at the church building. Turn them off. A print Bible has less possible distractions than a digital one.

Some have gone back to flip phones or what I call “dumb phones.” These phones revert back to the whole reason for a phone to begin with – calling and texting. It is good for children to know how to use devices without letting those devices control them.

We do allow our kids to have “tablet time” but it is limited with time increments and we do not only monitor, but we know all of the programs that we have installed on those devices. Parents cannot be too careful in guiding their children to enable and equip them for making right decisions.

Much of these principles can be applied to video games and screens of any size as well.

I hope these suggestions will help you find a healthy balance. Do you have several others? Post them here and they may be re-posted for others to see…

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 1 Timothy 5:17

Bishop, Elder, Pastor. Which one is the leader of your church? How about all three? Recently, as Dr Jeff Amsbaugh was preaching to our regional pastor fellowship in upstate New York, hosted by WBC, he pointed out the 3 synonymous terms in the Bible that refer to the “pastor” of the local church. As Baptist we prefer to use the term pastor, because of it’s connotation – I will share soon, but these other terms are good Bible terms that can give tremendous insight to the responsibilities and calling of the pastor.

Bishop. 1 Timothy 3:1 says, This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. The word “Bishop” means “inspection or superintendent.” While the pastor does not do all the work of any given church and ministry, he is to oversee or be the superintendent over all the ministry. With many others coming together to serve the Lord, the pastor gives the general direction and offers organizational helps to guide the church administratively. God is a God of order and Paul told the Corinthian church members in 1 Corinthians 14:40, Let all things be done decently and in order.

Elder. 1 Peter 5:1 declares, The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed… Elders means “older” or “senior.” It refers to the maturity of the individual leader. Church leaders are to be mature in the faith. While this does not mean the “he knows everything” it does mean that the foundational principles of Christianity are not new territory for him. That is why Peter exhorted the elders to continue in their wait for Jesus to come back for them. Keep going despite persecution or problems.

Pastor. Ephesians 4:11-13 elaborates, And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ… In fact the verse goes on to describe the gift the pastor is to the local church and the end result of his shepherding ministry. That is what a shepherd is. He feeds and leads his people like a shepherd cares for his sheep.

Shepherds are concerned about spiritual growth in his sheep.

Shepherds are cautious for wolves among the sheep.

Shepherds are caring for the pain endured by the sheep.

Shepherds cease any nipping and bickering among the sheep.

Shepherds who are following the Great Shepherd (Jesus) attempt to get the sheep to keep their eyes on Him.

Baptist churches, like ours, prefer this term “pastor” because of the quality of care and the level of closeness a shepherd has with his sheep and the sheep for their shepherd. The model of the pastor being the “under shepherd” pointing people to the “Great Shepherd” is a good one to follow. Show extra honor to those who faithfully are serving you. The Lord will bless you, and him for it.

I commend the pastors (Bishops/Elders) that are faithfully serving the Lord and His people in the church. Like Paul, I commend the teaching/preaching pastor’s especially. Those who deliver Bible messages week in and week out and do not merely give lip-service to the Bible, but live it out as well, are to be encouraged and celebrated. Their unending work causes much personal tiredness and at the same time joy. Serving spiritual food to sheep can be a difficult thing sometimes. Pastors cannot make changes in the life of his people. The sheep must want to receive the Word for themselves. They must make application on their own. But the pastor keeps leading and feeding the flock.

Encourage your pastor today. Pray for him. Drop him a note. Leave a gift on his door. Text or email and encouraging word or two. Choose to know him as a person and choose to follow his lead. Show respect. Sheep who care for their shepherd in material things are sure to be prepared emotional, relationally, and spiritually to receive the spiritual teaching their pastor gives.

Depending on what ministries your local church hosts, there could be many more responsibilities that are connected to the Senior Pastor position in your church. Even the assistant pastors have much responsibilities in their oversight. Like Arron supported Moses and lifted his hands, assistant pastors also make a big difference. Ultimately the pastor will give an account of each ministry decision and direction and he may have his hand in nearly every aspect of ministry to a degree because of that accountability. Speaking of the relationship of the church to its pastor, Hebrews 13:17 states: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

The pastor is watching for the souls of his people, the sheep in his local pasture field. His ministry in prayer and in the Word are his primary responsibilities. It could be called “leading and feeding.” Like a good shepherd does for his sheep. No matter what needs arise in your life, your pastor will try to assist, help and encourage. But, he cannot be everywhere at once. Only God can do that! The pastor cannot meet every need, but he may be able to point you in the right direction.

The congregation is likened to a flock of sheep who are called to know their shepherd and are directed to follow his leadership. 1 Thessalonians 5:12 teaches: And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you. Do you know your shepherd? Do you know his likes, dislikes, and personal characteristics? Do you know his family or personal needs, and have you asked his thoughts about certain matters? The church is to know and follow the shepherd God gifted them with.

With so much to do and with such a responsibility for both the pastor for leading and feeding, and the church for knowing and following, you can see why the Lord gave additional helpers in ministry. They are called deacons.

The term deacon is defined as “an attendant, or someone who runs errands.” Those who are called to the ministry of pastoring are focused on two main components: Praying and Studying/delivering the Word of God itself. Therefore, the Lord gave deacons, to help with the material matters of the church. They run the errands and conduct much business, supporting the oversight of the pastor. It is the deacons, whose spiritual calling and enabling is to serve the church by freeing the pastors to fulfill their calling. With so much to do, prayer and study can be hindered. With so much needing to be built, repaired, meals delivered, saints cared for in physical ways, fellowships, hospitality, assistance, and more help in other material things, the deacons also have much to do.

During pastor appreciation month, I am thankful, not only for the pastors and servants preaching the Word, but I am also thankful for the deacons, who support the pastor, by serving the church people and looking for ways to minister to their material and physical needs. We are blessed to have fine deacons at WBC. It is a pleasure to serve with them.

Even if you are not a deacon, you are called to serve others. Every Christian should find and fulfill his calling of God to “serve one another.” There are many “one another’s” in Scripture to apply to our relationships at church. Some people are actually “deacons in training” who may fill that role in the future!

So, pastors – thank you.

Deacons – thank you.

Fellow church members – thank you.

Working together with God, we can see the Lord accomplish amazing things in our lives, homes, and church. We are “fellow servants” in the church.

And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 23:4

Several years ago as my bus was quickly traveling down a mountain road in Israel, I noticed just a few miles from Jerusalem several wide open places and sheep walking around, un-fenced, and on their own. But they were not on their own. There were men, shepherds, and their sheep dogs, guiding the sheep and leading them, from grassy fields to clean refreshing water.

The Lord promised to Jeremiah and the people of Judah to send pastors (shepherds) who would feed and protect the people. In the context of Jeremiah 23, the Lord is speaking of governmental leaders; the people who were given responsibility and a charge to take care of the “flock” of God.” This is a good passage to learn about the responsibility the government has – to care for its people in restoring peace for prosperity and protection from harm. The promise even includes that people would not go missing (due to crime) because of the good leadership of the governmental leaders.

Interestingly enough, the word for “pastor” and the word for “which shall feed them” is the same Hebrew word. It means “To provide pasture.” In other words, one of the responsibilities of the government is to provide the means to conduct prosperous business ventures. It does not mean “to spoon feed;” but to provide a place for growth and sustenance. The government is called to provide a field in which industrious people can safely work, toil, and grow in business. Like sheep freely roaming a field.

The government is also to provide basic safety. Not only is there the possibility of wolves harming the sheep, like predators from foreign places that are not part of the field, but sometimes there are already wolves in the field. We all were probably taught to “Not talk to strangers.”

Jeremiah 23 goes on to describe the return of Jesus and how once He comes back to earth, He will set up His Millennial Kingdom and will rule with splendor and majesty.

In contrast, check out how the previous leaders of Israel had failed in Jeremiah 10:21. “For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.” Because of a lack of godly leadership the nation of Israel and Judah suffered terrible. “Brutish” is a Hebrew term which means to “kindle a flame or to consume with fire.” Instead of looking out for the best of the people – the leadership was looking out for… itself. Everything they touched, like a fire, they tried to consume. Taxes, regulations, tolls, and more could be examples today. Have you noticed much the same pattern in modern politics. Many governmental leaders are successful at accumulating large amounts of money for themselves or for their pet projects. I guess, some have even become rich by being full time politicians.

But one day. One day, following the rapture, the 7 years of tribulation, and the battle of Armageddon, King Jesus will return. He is the Perfect Shepherd this world desperately needs. In the mean-time, praise the Lord for Jesus, the Great Shepherd Who is daily watching after His own sheep. In this church age we are living in, the sheep are not confined to Israel, but to all those who are born again by faith in Jesus. Take a moment to read Psalm 23 for more shepherding insight. Be encouraged in Jesus today.

You have said it. You have thought it. Any young person you have near you has also said it – “I Can’t Wait!” We can get excited over many things in life. Looking forward with expectations of good things is natural.

“I can’t wait to see if the Yankees win.” “I can’t wait for the basketball season to start.” “I can’t wait until the medicine or treatment helps me to feel better.” “I can’t wait until school is out.” “I can’t wait until our wedding day!” “I Can’t wait until I see Jesus.” Or my favorite: “I can’t wait until…. dinner!” These are common examples.

Make you own “I can’t wait” statement: I can’t wait _____ _______ ________.

What if we changed our thinking and our perspective a little bit? Instead of focusing on an event, situation, or outcome, what if we placed our expectation in a person? Not a spouse (or fiancée). Not a promotion, start of a season, or outcome of a game. What if our expectation was in Jesus?

In the 13 short verses of Psalm 39, David portrays his need for the Lord. He declares that his hope is in the Lord. He mentions controlling his tongue, sorrow, anger, his physical frailty, the vanity of most men, deliverance from evil, the judgment of God, praying to the Lord, and recovering strength in moments of weakness. He covers a lot of topics in this short chapter! Right in the middle, in verse 7 he says: “What wait I for?” It is a good question! If our hope, expectation, satisfaction and fulfillment is completed in Jesus, what are we really looking forward to in life? What more can a Christian have if Jesus is truly his “All in All.”

I believe that we should have healthy expectations. We should be looking ahead and be forward thinking in our mind. At the same time, while we are looking forward to events and outcomes, we must realize that true fulfillment, peace, and satisfaction does not come from the Yankees winning. Real satisfaction is not found in relationship, events, or outcomes – but in Christ.

This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote in Colossians 2:10: “And ye are complete in him…” While the “I can’t wait” things may be good, Jesus is the best. What more can we find in life if we do not place our hope in Jesus and Jesus alone? The answer is nothing. Without Jesus at the center of our life, decisions, and personal satisfaction for living, we will not find true purpose or meaning for life.

The next time you say: “I can’t wait…” look ahead to Jesus for a moment and remind yourself how He is the ultimate goal we are looking for. Find your fulfillment and completion in Him.